Tips for Healthy Dining Out

Restaurant meals have a lot more calories (at least 60 percent more, according to one recent study) than the same dishes prepared at home. The good news? There are healthy choices to be found on every menu. Check out more ways to drop 5 pounds.

1. Do Research

When the California Center for Public Health Advocacy recently asked 523 people to name the healthiest options at popular restaurants, 68 percent didn't get a single answer right  yikes! Guesstimating nutrition information just doesn't work.

So do yourself a favor, and do a little research. Many restaurants post their entire menu plus nutrition information online, making it easy for you to make informed choices ahead of time. If, like most people, you tend to frequent the same spots over and over, go online or ask for in-house nutrition brochures, and ﬁnd healthy picks at your top ﬁve places. You can also ﬁnd healthy menu choices for a selection of nearly 30,000 eateries nationwide (from fast food to fancy food) at healthydiningfinder.com, which is partly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And it never hurts to ask your local mom-and-pop eateries, for numbers  specfically, calories. It's always a good idea to make healthy out-and-about picks, but when you're trying to drop pounds, calories are where the rubber meets the road.

2. Eat Consciously

People who manage to lose weight are aware of just how much they eat and drink, and when they overindulge on occasion, theyll make up for it later. People who struggle with their weight, however, tend to ignore their bodys cues and often eat way past fullness. Its easy to get sucked into overeating: Researchers at Cornell University hosted a Super Bowl party for 50 people and served an unlimited number of chicken wings. At half the tables, waiters scooped away the bones as they ate. At the other tables, where partiers could see their scraps piling up, they ate 27 percent less. When you are dining out, its extra important to pay attention to what your body is telling you, since portions tend to be oversized. As soon as you start to feel full, put down your fork, spoon, pastry, or sandwich  stop eating, and give yourself a few minutes to check your hunger before you eat more. Clean plates are not required.

3. Manage Your Hunger

When you skip meals or go hungry in order to save mega-calories for a lunch out or social function later in the day, you set yourself up for a dining-out disaster. Youll be so ravenous by the time you get to your dinner, party, or event that youll end up eating a lot more than if you had had a healthy meal earlier in the day. Whats more, skipping meals can result in a slowed metabolism as your starving body assumes you are in a state of emergency and starts conserving fat. Keeping yourself satisﬁed over the course of the day helps to maintain your appetite (and your metabolism) on an even keel, giving you a much better chance to eat consciously, make better choices, and actually enjoy your meals.

4. Balance the Bad with the Good

You've heard it before, but lots of restaurant foods are full of fat and calories. Some of the worst offenders: cream, cheese, ice cream, butter, baked goods, fried foods, and fatty meats. So how do you make smarter picks? Look for foods that are most like their natural state  fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, rather than chicken nuggets, potato chips, or fruit pies. The better options will contain more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and filling fiber. But research shows that people who completely ban their favorite foods while trying to lose weight tend to cycle between dieting and bingeing on the foods they restrict. Balancing choices is key. So, if breakfast out at a diner is just not the same without a few strips of bacon, have it with a cup of oatmeal and some fresh fruit. If you can't live without the French fries at your favorite bistro, order grilled ﬁsh and veggies as your entrée and share the fries with your dining companion. If you are craving a decadent dessert, share it with a friend (or two or three).

5. Practice Damage Control

In the real world of dining out and dieting, making the best picks, eating consciously, ﬁnding balance, or just saying no (to the bread basket, French fries, dessert, or a second glass of wine) is not always possible. If you occasionally have an indulgent meal  c'mon, it happens  and you still want to Drop 5, you have to be prepared to neutralize the damage. Choose lower-calorie options for your next few meals and increase your activity level over the next several days, and your indulgence won't have a chance to stick to your hips (or backside or stomach).

Good Housekeeping already has an account with this email address. Link your account to use Facebook to sign in to Good Housekeeping. To insure we protect your account, please fill in your password below.

Your information has been saved and an account has been created for you giving you full access to everything goodhousekeeping.com and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your username and/or password or complete your profile, click here.